Weekday Meat and Potatoes

I often make the excuse, "...but I don't have time to make a good meal." Some days it's true. Some days it's all I can do to get off of work at 5, walk to the car, drive to a local eatery, order and eat $1.50 tacos (good tacos but store-bought all the same), and get home to leave again because we are asked to be elsewhere by 6:30. I'm sure many of you understand.

The described scenario works on Tuesday night because tacos are cheap. Wednesday night, I don't have that luxury, and I will often think I don't have time to cook something really good. Maybe I don't, but WE do.

I love to cook with my hubby. I love spending time together in the kitchen talking about anything under the sun. I love feeling like we are both experiencing something new. I love knowing that we are accomplishing something together. I love that he keeps me calm when I want to cry because something isn't according to plan, he calls it "Hama Pizazz". Another thing I love is that when we work together we can create an entire delicious meal and not just a really good main dish and a side that looks like an afterthought.

Last night my hubby manned the grill and created a masterpiece of a pork tenderloin. Other than his innate talent, the secret is: get a quality piece of meat and let it's natural flavor come through. Ingredients: pork tenderloin, coarse salt, freshly ground pepper. That's it.

While he was tending to the manly meat duties I was in the kitchen prepping the farmer's market finds of new potatoes and fresh green beans. I did look to some tried and tested recipes to help me along the way. I will share these with you.

Garlic Smashed Potatoes
Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds red new potatoes, scrubbed well and quartered
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup milk - it calls for whole but I just used 1% because that's what I have on hand
  

Directions:

1. Set a steamer basket in a large pot. Fill with enough water to come just below basket; bring to a boil. Add potatoes; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until tender, 12 to 14 minutes.
   

2. Remove steamer basket and set potatoes aside; discard water from pot. In same pot, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium. Add garlic; cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add potatoes; mash coarsely. Cook, stirring, 1 minute (a film of starch will form on bottom of pot). Stir in milk and remaining tablespoon butter; heat until warmed through, about 1 minute more. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Emeril's Green Bean Salad
Ingredients:

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 small garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 1/2 pounds thin green beans, trimmed
• 2 small red onions, quartered through root end (leaving root end attached) - I skipped the onions this time because I didn't want to bother but they are a tasty addition

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and prepare a large bowl of ice water. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons oil, garlic, lemon zest and juice; set aside. For onions: Heat grill to medium-low.

2. Cook green beans in boiling water until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer immediately to ice-water bath. Drain beans well, pat dry, and place in bowl. Drizzle with dressing. If not using onions, season with salt and pepper.
   

3. For onions: Toss onion wedges with remaining tablespoon oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill until lightly charred, 4 to 6 minutes per side. When cool, trim root end off, and thinly slice onions; add to bowl with green beans, and toss to combine.

I apologize for not having pictures to entice your tastebuds but honestly my photography needs some work and photos wouldn't have done it justice, not to mention I was short on time and my mouth was watering.

My hubby and I put this together in about 30 minutes. He's the meat: dark and muscles. I'm the potatoes: starchy white and better with milk. :)